Bella Notte
by HayleeUp
Summary: "We can't do this," she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest."Why not?" he asked, his lips on her throat. And as his intoxicating scent filled her senses and she lost sense of right and wrong, she couldn't seem to find an answer for him.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue.

_The fog was heavy._

It was late, around twelve thirty, and it was raining. The roads were slick and icy from the rain. It was hard to see more than a few miles ahead of you, despite fog lights. The weatherman had said that driving conditions would be dangerous that evening and to avoid spending much time on the road, but if you had to, make sure you were concentrated and focused while driving.

"Talk dirty to meeeeee, yea, yea, yeaaaa! And Baaaaby: Talk dirty to- Weh, weh weh, oooooh yea!" The driver, Richard Stanley, yelled along to Brett Michaels on the radio, causing his girlfriend, Rachael McKay to laugh.

"Rick!" Rachael gasped out between giggles. "You are _too_ funny!"

The eighteen year-old laughed, taking a hand off the wheel to hold his girlfriend's. "And you are too beautiful for your own good!" He kissed her hand, making her blush. He glanced over at her, their eyes meeting. Rachael leaned in to kiss him, but when she saw the person out of the corner of her eye, she instead looked out the windshield and screamed.

"Rick, watch out!"

"What?"

"STOP!" Rachael screamed again as the car collided with the figure in the middle of the road, plowing directly into him at at least ninety miles an hour- thirty miles over the legal limit for the road they were on.

The man went flying over the hood after making a sickening _thud_ on impact. After being momentarily stunned, Rick slammed on his brakes, the tires squealing under the sudden pressure. Rachael screamed again as the car slid against the ice, turning in the middle of the road so it landed in a perfect horizontal line as it came to a stop

Gasping, Rachael grabbed the door handle, the reality of what they'd done coming down on her. It had all happened so fast- only five seconds had passed since they'd hit him. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no." She moaned. "Oh, Rick!" She cried.

He looked over at her, horror filling his eyes, and draining his face of color. They'd been going so fast, there was no way that man could have survived the impact. It was like he'd come out of nowhere. One second, it had been just them on the empty road, and the next _BAM! _-no pun intended- there he was.

He had to go see if the man was… He didn't even to think of the possibility. God, he'd only had one drink at the party they'd just come from. Could they use that against him in court? They couldn't. He was only eighteen, for God's sake! He couldn't have just killed someone. There was no possible way. Rachael continued to cry and mumble incoherently next to him. He had to go check. Slowly, he climbed out of the car, mumbling to Rach that he'd be right back and to stay there.

The night air was freezing, but he hardly felt it as it whipped against his skin. He was completely numb as he made his way over the body. From what he could see, there was no blood. That was good. But the man wasn't moving either. He got closer, bending down to… to what? What would he do, poke him with a stick? Rick froze, poised over the body, nausea turning his stomach. No movement. Did that mean he was…? Rick checked for a pulse on the guy's neck, cringing when he touched the cold skin.

Nothing. God, nothing at all. He had no pulse.

The man was dead.

And then, faster than his eyes could see, Rick was lifted off the ground, his air circulation cut off. He couldn't breathe, couldn't figure out what was going on. He made a grab for his throat, only to close his fingers around the icy wrist of the man that had been dead only a moment ago.

Rachael sat in the car, completely beside herself. She had no idea what to do.

_Rick will know,_ she thought. _Rick always knows what to do._

Rachael wiped her eyes, in no way stopping the tears. Rick had left only a minute earlier to see if the man was okay. He hadn't come back, and Rachael didn't know if that was good or bad. She looked into the rearview mirror, trying to get a view of Rick or the man in the darkness.

She didn't see anyone.

"Rick?" she whispered., knowing he couldn't hear her. "Rick, where are you? What's happening?"

_CRASH!_

Rachael screamed as the roof of the car caved in, nearly touching her head. Shock registered in her mind first. What in the hell was going on? And then, Rachael screamed again.

Because there, sliding down onto the windshield along with an excessive amount of blood, was her boyfriend, Rick.

"No! Oh, God, no! Rick!" Rachael screamed, tears pouring down her face. Not thinking, she wrenched open the door, stumbling out of the car. Trying not to look at Rick's mangled body or the blood beginning to run down the side of the car, Rachael turned, trying to find what had done this to her boyfriend.

But they were alone. Not another person, no animal, no cars, and, the scariest part, no body of the man they had hit. He was no where to be found.

Rachael cried out, whimpering. She leaned against trunk of the car, putting her head in her hands. It was quiet for a moment, only the sounds of the night and Rachael's occasional whimper.

And then a piercing scream rang out, shattering Rachael's eardrums, not to mention the car windows. It was not her own scream, nor anything human. It was way too loud, to high pitched. Half deaf, Rachael took off at a dead sprint, running as fast as she could to get away from the car, and from the horrible screaming.

"Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name," Rachael panted as she ran, reciting the prayer her mother had taught her. She didn't know why she did it, only that she was scared and didn't know what else to do. Her heart hammered against her chest. The screaming didn't stop.

But Rachael did.

Before she'd realized it, she had slammed head on into a wall of solid rock. She looked up, confused.

And screamed.

Because instead of it being a wall of rock she'd run into, it was the man they'd hit a few minutes ago, his chest as hard as marble. She stared into his red eyes, as bright as the blood that coated his lips, throat, and clothing. Rick's blood.

Rachael felt like she would pass out.

The man smiled a beautiful smile, showing off perfectly white teeth. "What father, child? Who do you speak to? Who do wish to save you?"

Rachael whimpered, more tears falling.

The man _tsk-tsked_ with his tongue, shaking his head. "No one can save you. No one."

And then he went for her throat.


	2. Chapter 2

1. New

"_Here we are again. I feel the chemicals kickin' in. It's getting heavy and I wanna run and hide. I wanna run and hide. I do it every time. You're killin' me now. And I won't be denied by you, the animal inside you. Oh, oh, I want some more. Oh, oh, what are you waiting for? Take a bite of my heart tonight."_

I sang along to the lyrics, as loud as I could over the roar of the engine.

The world outside blurred as I drove, the colors of greens and grays and browns, all mixing together like paint that had run down its canvass. I threw my head back, laughing, enjoying the feel of adrenaline pumping through my system.

The Speedo needle continued to climb, higher and higher, and my foot pressed down on the accelerator even harder. A hundred miles an hour…a hundred and ten…a hundred and twenty… The speed pushed me back into my seat and made my heart race with adrenaline. A hundred and twenty-six miles…a hundred and twenty-nine…a hundred and…sirens.

I groaned loudly as the flashing lights in my rear-view mirrors grew bigger with their approach. This was just perfect. What better way to begin my first day back in this god forsaken place then with another speeding ticket?

Angrily, I reduced my speed and pulled off the road, not that it was really necessary, seeing as how there was, like, no traffic in this place. I turned down the volume, my toe itching against the gas pedal, eager to simply floor it and make a break for it. The officer got out of his car slowly and came up to me, tapping lightly on my window, ticket book in hand.

With a sigh I rolled it down and gave the man behind the sheriff's hat and pointless sunglasses a bright, completely fake smile. "Evening Officer."

He touched his fingers to his hat. "Evening Miss. I need to see your license and registration. Do you know you were exceeding the speed limit?"

_Duh…. _"Was I? Oh, I'm so sorry." I handed him the documents and smiled innocently.

"Mm," He didn't sound convinced as he scribbled out the fine and checked the papers before handing them back. "What brings you up here? Do you plan on staying long?"

_Oh, if you only knew. _"Yes, actually, I am." I smiled at the frown pulling his eyebrows together. "I just moved here. It's my first day back, and I was on my way to my aunts' house, Paige and Phoebe Halliwell. Do you know them?" I asked conversationally, taking the ticket he was handing me. Two hundred and forty-seven, not to bad I guess. I reached over and chucked it in the glove box. When I looked back the officer was staring at me with a thoughtful expression.

I raised my eyebrows. "What?"

"Well, well, well." He shook his head and grinned. "Haylee Halliwell, haven't you grown up."

I lifted my own pointless sunglasses- I only wore them out of habit, seeing as how there was no sun here- onto my head and studied him carefully until recognition clicked. "_Charlie_? Charlie Swan? Oh my God, it's so good to see you!" I leapt out of the car and hugged one of my Mom's best friends tightly. "You're _still_ working here?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, don't think I'll ever leave."

I grimaced. "Don't say that, you might curse me to that fate as well."

He laughed and held me at arms length to get a better look at me. "Look at you, Haylee. My goodness, you sure are growing up. How did that wild little nine year old girl with the baseball caps and scraped knees turn into the beautiful young woman standing here now? How've you been, Hayls?"

I smiled. "I've been alright," I lied. "It's been a long time. How's Bella?"

He smiled at his daughter's name. "She's good. She's living down in Florida with her mother and her husband."

"Nice. Florida. Sunshine. I'm jealous." I grimaced as a rain drop landed on my forehead, as if to emphasize my point.

Charlie laughed. "You're just like your Mom, Haylee. She hated the rain, too." I sucked in a breath at the mention of my mother, but Charlie didn't seem to notice. He plowed on, oblivious. "How is she? It's been a long time since any of us have heard from her."

It took me a second to recover. "She… well, Charlie, she… ummm…"I paused, trying to collect my thoughts. Charlie's eyebrows knitted together, confusion on his face.

"Is she alright?" he asked, concern filtering in his voice.

"Well, umm… She's not…" I stopped, taking s deep breath and explaining in a rush. "My mom died three months ago, Charlie." Charlie froze, not knowing what to say. I swallowed hard on the lump in my throat, going into the comforting mode I'd perfected over the past few months. "It's alright, Charlie," I said, putting my hand on his shoulder as his face crumpled for a minute. I'm sure he hadn't really been expecting that news. My mother had mentioned him almost everyday. He'd been one of her best friends in High School.

"How?" He managed to get out, though it sounded strangled.

"A car crash," I lied smoothly. "Drunk driver. It was immediate and she didn't feel any pain." I lied smoothly, as I'd been practicing on the drive up.

"Oh, God," Charlie said, running his hand over his face, stopping at his mouth. It was quiet for a moment, each of us absorbing the other's pain. "And how are you, kid? You doing okay?" Charlie went into his protective routine that I remembered so well.

I nodded. "I'm alright. Like I said, I'm coming up here to stay with Paige and Phoebe at the manor. They're my godmothers, and they wouldn't let me stay in the house alone back on the Island, because I'm not eighteen yet." I made a face, and Charlie smiled sadly.

"I'm so sorry, Haylee." He pulled me into a meant to be comforting hug. Charlie wasn't very good at emotions though, so it was slightly awkward. He pulled back patting my shoulder. "If you need anything, let me know. Everyone in Forks knew your mom and loved her, so if you need anything at all…" he trailed off.

I nodded again, smiling gently. "Thanks, Charlie. I will." I climbed back into my car, shutting the door.

"And don't worry about the ticket," Charlie said, waving his hand. "Just drive slower and we'll put it behind us." He grinned easily and I smiled.

"Thanks, again, Charlie. I'll be in touch," I called as I pulled out onto the road.

"Take care of yourself!" He called.

"I will!" I waved to him, watching in the rearview until he disappeared behind the trees. I sighed, feeling the tears begin to gather in my eyes. I let them fall, knowing it would be a long time before I let myself cry again.

It was beautiful outside my car windows, just like I remembered. The trees hung like a canopy of green over the road, dripping with the rain that fell above them. A mist rose up from the pavement, the humidity prominent. Flowers grew beside the road, small and simple compared to intense vinery that hung down. Everything was green… Too green, nothing like the blue skies and white sands of Port Aransas, the place I loved, the place I was exiling myself from.

I knew that it would be different though, from the many Christmases and Thanksgivings and Spring breaks I'd come up here for. Every year since before I could remember, we'd driven up, stayed for a week, and then gone back home. My mother wasn't too fond of this place, either.

She'd left before I was born, moving down to Texas to be with my father. They'd met when she'd gone down there for spring break Senior Year, and she'd fallen in love with him, the ocean, beaches, and the dry, hot air. She'd stayed there, not coming back even to finish high school. They'd gotten married in two months, and had me within seven. My mom couldn't have been happier.

That is, until my dad left us. He'd disappeared before my first birthday, and I hadn't seen him since. But my Mom, for some odd reason, had never gotten together with anyone else. I'd asked her about why once. She'd smiled, bending down and kissing my cheek. She told me she'd tell me when I was older, that I wouldn't understand it now, and did I want ice cream? That was the one question I'd asked that she'd never answered. She always answered every question I asked her. Or at least she had, before the accident-

_No._ I thought, shutting down the thought hard. I wasn't going to think about it, I'd already promised myself that. This was my fresh start, a place for me to stop being the girl who's mother disappeared, leaving nothing behind but a puddle of blood and-

I gunned the engine, kicking the speed back up, leaving my gut, and all thoughts of the past three months, my mother, and my screwed up life, ninety miles per hour behind me in an instant.

"Haylee!"

"Aunt Paige! Aunt Phoebe!" I squealed, shutting the door of my navy blue solstice behind me and running into their open embrace. It was nice to held like this again. Their arms felt almost as good as Mom's.

"How are you sweetie?" Phoebe asked, pulling back to look at my face. "When's the last time you slept?" She asked, eyeing the bags under my eyes suspiciously. _Damn, _I thought. I thought I'd covered them up with my makeup pretty good back at the gas station. I'd stopped outside of town so that I could brush my teeth, wash my face, and attempt to make myself look a little more human so that I wouldn't worry them. Apparently, I had failed.

"Umm… Well I left Portland on… Tuesday? What's today?"

"Friday," Paige said slowly.

"I stopped in a hotel Wednesday night around eleven, and I left around nine the next morning. I've been driving since then. I just wanted to get here and get settled in, before the weekend since I start school Monday."

"Hayls," Phoebe groaned, before grabbing me and pulling me into another hug.

"We made dinner. You're gonna eat, and then go to bed." Paige said, but her voice held a slightly amused note instead of a strict one.

I smiled. "I'm fine, really. Dr. Pepper has been my best friend." They both groaned at my poor healthy lifestyle choices, and I laughed.

"Well, well, look at what the storm drug in," came the deep voice of non other than-

"Uncle Henry!" I cried, spinning around and chucking myself into his muscled arms. He closed them around me, and I was lost in his protective embrace. Since my father was a no show absentee punk, Paige's high school sweetheart turned husband had stepped in, playing the role of my Dad. He'd been at all my dance recitals, track meets, talent shows, basketball games, just about everything a dad should do when they'd come down to visit once every couple months. I was about as close to him as I was my own Mom, and both my Aunts.

"How you doing, kid?" He grinned down at my five foot two frame, and I smiled a wry smiled.

"Fantastic."

He ducked down and kissed my forehead, then went to get my bags out of the trunk.

"Be careful!" I called as he popped the lid. "Don't hurt my baby!"

"Your 'baby'?" Phoebe quoted behind me, a grin on her face.

"Yes, my baby," I said, stroking the hood of my little sports car affectionately. "He name's Delilah."

Paige and Phoebe shared a look, then burst out laughing, gathering me into their arms and towing me into the house, Henry following behind with my two bags of luggage.

A few hours and a big bowl of spaghetti later, the four of us were sitting around the fireplace in the living room, me nice and comfy in a pair of oversized sweats and soft grey pullover. My blonde hair was pulled up in a bun, little pieces of hair falling in my face. Phoebe and Paige were explaining to me about the school I'd now be attending on Monday.

"You're a couple weeks late for the start of school, but it's alright, you haven't missed too much." Paige said.

"It's not hard stuff, Haylee. You're smarter than probably half the teachers there. You'll catch up fine," Henry smiled, catching my worried look.

"Trust us, Haylee, most of the teachers you'll have, we had, too. Nothing much has changed since we all went there." Phoebe patted my feet from where she sat next to me, my feet in her lap.

I grinned at her. Then I yawned. The cozy couch and heat of the fireplace was putting me to sleep.

"You need to get some rest," Henry said, standing up and helping me off the couch. I swatted at his hand playfully.

"I'm fiiiiiiinnne," I said, yawning again in the middle of 'fine'.

They all laughed.

"No," Paige said. "Henry's right. Go on up to bed. Sleep in tomorrow. Tomorrow afternoon, you, me and Phoebs are going shopping!" She clapped her hands, giggling as I rolled my eyes and groaned. Paige and Phoebe could shop for hours. I dreaded so much as going to the grocery store.

"Oh, get over it!" Phoebe said, playfully nudging me in the side. "You live with us now, and we are getting you new clothes! Sad to say, but you're clothing supply from Texas doesn't exactly cut it for the Northwestern Olympic Peninsula."

I grimaced, but nodded, smiling slightly at their enthusiasm. As much as I hated Forks, I loved my Aunts. "Okay, sounds good, guys."

Phoebe smiled lightly, kissing my cheek.

"Your room is up the stairs, the same one you always stay in." Paige said, copying Phoebe's motion.

"Okay, sounds good. Thanks," I said, heading for the stairs. "Night, guys. Love y'all."

"Love you, too," they all replied. I could feel their eyes following me as I climbed the stairs, burning into my back until I turned the corner into the cool, dark hallway. I flipped a light switch, easily finding my room, the third door on the left, right across from the window of the street. I flipped the lights, letting my eyes adjust as the wonderfully familiar room came into view. Henry had placed my bags beside the closet, but I decided to leave unpacking until tomorrow. My sleepless nights were starting to catch up with me.

Slowly, I grabbed my bathroom bag, which made up of one of the two bags I had brought with me, and made my way down the hall to the guest bathroom. I figured it would be mine now, so put my hair supplies and makeup under the sink, briefly washing my face and brushing my teeth before making my way back to my room.

Inside, I shut my door, slipped off my pullover and sweats and climbed into bed, exhaustion taking me somewhere far away, pulling me deeper and deeper under until I wasn't even in my bedroom anymore. No, I was back at Mom's house in Texas, right outside in the front yard. I could smell the ocean just beyond our backyard. Kate had just dropped me off from school in her blue convertible, was pulling away as I slipped in through the front door.

It was unlocked, which was odd. The front door was always locked during the day.

"Mom?" I called, dropping my bag on the bench and slipping off my shoes. "Mom, I'm home! School sucked, as always." I came around the corner, seeing that the TV was on. Mom still hadn't answered. "Mom, where are you?"

I walked into the kitchen, grabbing an apple from the fridge. I turned around, making my way to get a glass.

And froze, the apple falling from my hand.

"M-mom?" I asked. Then I screamed.

It was not my Mom lying on the floor, no thank God, but instead a puddle of blood, dripping down onto the floor from where it was spattered on the countertop and across the cabinets. A large knife- most definitely not one of our kitchen knives- lay on the countertop, too, blood making the blade shine red.

"Oh, God," I chocked out as I realized it could only be one person's blood- my Mother's.

"Gah!" I cried, wrenching up in bed, sweat making my hair stick to my face from where it had fallen out of my bun. For a moment, I looked around wildly, completely confused as to where I was. Slowly, I remembered, though. I was in Forks, in my Aunt's house, at the Manor, safe and okay. There was no blood, no knife. I was fine. I was fine.

I had to force myself to breath normally, counting each inhale and each exhale. Slowly, my heart rate returned to normal. I dropped my head in my hands. It had only been three months- the counselor had said it be a while before the nightmares stopped.

Only, they weren't nightmares, plural. Only one. And it wasn't something my mind had conjured up- It was a memory. My memory. Of the day my mother had disappeared.

I always woke up at that point, though, never dreaming of what had happened after, when I'd called the police and then fell to the floor, lying in a ball, not entirely able to comprehend what had happened. I never dreamed about answering their questions, or spending those nights with Kate those first couple weeks. I never dreamed about them telling me they had no leads, no clues, and that they were closing the case. I never dream about them telling me my mother was dead, and that I'd never see her again. I never dream about her funeral, with the empty coffin. No, those never came to my subconscious in the middle of the night.

Only the day I found the blood.

I looked at my clock, saw that it read three-thirty in the morning. "Oh, come _on_," I groaned. I lay back in bed, closing my eyes, praying for sleep to come.

It didn't however, as I knew it wouldn't.

My mind drifted, though, and I found myself thinking back to when Chief Martin had said she was dead.

"_What do you mean your closing the case?" I said angrily, jumping up. "You can't do that! You have to explore every lead, every option. You have to solve the case, Joey! You can't just say you're closing the case!"_

"_Haylee," he said behind his desk, holding his head in his hands. He looked up at me, angry and trembling, and sighed. "That's just it. We _have _explored every lead. There are no more options. We have no clues, except for the knife. There are no fingerprints, no footprints, no DNA… There's nothing. Your mom's body," I cringed at the word, but he kept going, "has not been found."_

"_So that might mean she's alive!" I cried, nearly begging him to understand._

"_No, Haylee. The medical expert said the blood was all your mother's, that it matched her blood type from her doctor's office, and that no one could have survived that kind of blood loss. I'm so sorry, Haylee," I was shaking my head before he was even close to finishing. "Your mom's d-"_

"_Don't." I said through clenched teeth. "Don't you dare say that she'd dead. She's NOT dead, do you understand? She can't be dead!" I yelled as the tears began to fall down my face. "She can't be dead! She was fine that morning. She didn't feel good, so she'd taken the day off from the school. One day, she doesn't go, and that's the day she dies? No! She was smiling and waving when I left. No one that alive can be dead in just a couple hours! She's not dead!" I had escalated to hysterical, and fell down into one of the chairs, sobbing, unable to continue._

_I heard the Chief get up from his desk, felt him come over to me and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. _

"_It's only been a month," I choked out, gasping._

"_And we aren't any closer, Haylee. I'm so sorry." And he really did sound sorry. My mother had been the principal at the school, and she'd worked with him and his squad more times than I could count on helping the kids, and the cops, out. _

"_Noooo," I wailed, my body heaving with sobs. _

"_I know, Haylee. Just let it out, let it all out," he said. _

But he'd misinterpreted what I'd meant when I'd said that. I wasn't saying no out of realization that she'd died. I was saying no because I would not, could not, believe that my Mother, my strong, wonderful, lively Mother, could be dead.

It was impossible. Inconceivable.

It wasn't true.

And I still firmly believed it. The hardest thing I'd ever had to do in my whole life was plan my mother's funeral, knowing that it was waste because she was still alive, still out there somewhere. Sitting there, listening to the minister talk about how she'd had a good a life was second hardest, because every time he said it, I just wanted to jump and scream, "He life isn't over yet!" When they'd put her coffin in the town cemetery, and we'd all stood under black umbrellas, I didn't shed a tear. Because my mother was not in that box.

She was not dead.

The mourners had come to the house for the Wake, all expressing their condolences about the crash to me and my Aunts. They didn't really know my Aunts, but they all knew me, and I received countless tear filled hug after tear filled hug, all because the people thought my mother was dead. "Stop crying!" I wanted to stay. "Just stop it! She isn't dead! She isn't dead, you stupid people!" I think the Wake was probably the third hardest moment of my life.

When I packed all of Mom's things up before the house was sold last week and had them shipped up here to Phoebe and Paige, my hands shook with every object I placed into a box. Because it felt like a betrayal to my Mom, to go through her things. To put them away as if she wouldn't ever use them again. As if she'd never wear her favorite shirt with the cross on it again, or put in her diamond hoop earrings. I kept her makeup with me, though, because I couldn't just throw it away.

Of course, I'd never told anyone that I knew she wasn't dead. No, the story around town was the one about the drunk car crash. No one knew what actually happened. Only me, my Aunts, and Henry. The police were good at keeping secrets. I would say "Thank you" when they'd say they were "sorry for my loss" because I was thankful that they cared about me and my Mom. But I never acknowledged in any way that she was dead. She was gone, but she was not dead.

She was not dead.

I don't know at what point in the night my brain had finally drifted off to sleep, but when I opened my eyes again, my room was dimly lit, the product of a cloudy, overcast sky. My clock read six-forty five. I sighed, knowing it was a futile effort to try and go back to sleep. I climbed out of bed, and made my way over to my suitcase. Vowing to unpack it later still, I pulled out a pair of jeans and a blue, long sleeve, button up sweater and some underwear and headed to the bathroom.

A nice hot shower and about thirty minutes later, I headed downstairs, my hair still damp from the shower. I went to the kitchen, visions of steaming coffee cups dancing before my eyes. I poured a generous amount, filling a little over half way with creamer, then went out to the front porch, sitting down on the comfy swinging chair with all the over stuffed pillows. The manor was raised on a slant up from the street, which was located on a hill. From my vantage point, I could see all the way down the hill to the intersection that led into town, and up until it ended at another intersection, one way leading deeper into houses, the other toward the forest that ranged behind the house. Across the street, behind the houses, I could see mountains in the backgrounds, just a part of the scenery to people who'd lived here their whole lives. To me, it was like stepping into one my geography book that I'd stalked when I had nothing else to do in class. It was so beautiful up here. The mountain tops actually reached up into the clouds, which hung low and puffy today, a deep grey that hinted at rain.

I took a deep breath, the clean smell before rain came filling my lungs. Despite my aversion to this place, the one thing I did love was the smell of the rain. Not to much of it in Port A, that's for sure. A low rumble of thunder sounded way out in the background. I took a sip of my coffee, enjoying the early morning peace and quiet. This was mom's favorite time of day. We'd always get up and go for a run on the beach in the morning, early, around five thirty. We'd run four miles out, away from our house, by the water, and then back. It was about six-forty five by the time we got back, and we'd watch the sunrise as we went for cool down walk. Every morning, that was what we did.

It was gonna be hard to get back into the routine for me without her.

"Hey."

"Oh, God," I said, jumping a little. "Henry, you scared me!" I said, glaring at him playfully as he sat down across from me in the rocking chair. We had a lot of furniture on this front porch.

He chuckled. "Sorry, Hayls. What are you doing awake? Didn't Paige tell you to sleep in today?"

"Yes, _Dad_," I said, grinning. "But I've never really been one to sleep in. I feel like I'm missing the day. What are you doing up so early?"

"I have to work, young teenager without a job," He said, flashing me his badge.

_Oh, yeah, _I thought, mentally slapping my forehead. Henry was the head Detective here, working with Chief Swan. Not that there was much to be detected in Forks. Nothing really happened. But still, he had the badge and the title, and he was damn good at what he did.

"Eww…" I said, wrinkling my nose in mock disgust. "Work."

Henry laughed. "I know, but I don't have to be in till eight. Wanna talk?"

I raised my eyebrows suspiciously. "About..?"

"Oh, I don't know. The weather, clothes, school, your mother's disappearance? Whatever sounds appealing to you." Henry eyed me as he spoke, noticing my shocked expression when he said disappearance instead of murder. "What is it, Hayls?"

I paused, not sure how to begin. "She's not dead, Henry. I know she's not." Yea, that sounded good. Just ease him into it. Yea right.

"Why do you think that? You know what the medical examiner said." Henry wasn't criticizing me, he was just curious. He honestly wanted to know.

"I have no idea, Henry. I can just… feel it. If she were dead, I would know. She's my mom, Henry. I can't believe that she's dead without proof." My voice shook with how much I meant every word I said.

"You saw the blood, Haylee." He wasn't accusing me of anything, and his voice was still not at all critical. It was calm, stating a fact. "You saw the knife."

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter." My voice was firm, authorative. The voice I used when babysitting small children who wouldn't listen. "I know what I know, and I know she isn't dead."

Henry nodded. "I believe you."

I whipped my head around. "What?"

"I said I believe you. Of all people, you would know, Hayls. This is your mother. I understand. What I don't understand is the lack of evidence. This was all just so sudden, without any warning, or reason, even. It's all just strange. No fingerprints, no DNA, no blood anywhere except the kitchen. If he'd taken your mom somewhere, she would have been bleeding. Which makes me think…" he trailed off, looking pointedly at me.

"It wasn't her blood." I finished for him.

We sat in silence for a minute, both absorbing it.

"It's going to be okay, you know." Henry broke the silence first.

"What?" I said again. How in the world did he figure that?

"It'll work out, Haylee It always does."

"Sure, Henry, you keep thinking that…" I trailed off, confusion sweeping over me. "Do you think she's dead, Henry?"

"I… I don't know. I don't know what to believe. But I believe your Mother is a strong, brave woman, and that she doesn't go down without a fight. And I believe you, I believe in what you think. Things will work out," he said again. "I heard you crying last night, Hayls. In your sleep. Paige did too, but she didn't know if you'd want to be alone, or if she should come in… I told her to just let you be, that you needed time." Henry stopped, unsure. "Was I right?"

I nodded. "Yes, thank you. Paige doesn't need to see me like that. It would only worry her."

Henry rolled his eyes. "She's always worried about you. She loves you. We all do," he stopped, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He checked a text on his screen, then sighed, shoving it back down. "I have to go. Charlie just texted me." He stood up, coming over and kissing my forehead.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just a case we're working on. No big deal," He said smoothly. I narrowed my eyes. "Don't lie to me, Henry. What's the case about?"

Henry sighed again. "A couple months back, about a month after your Mom, we got a call from a hiker up in the mountains. He said he'd found a car and two bodies. The car was horizontal in the road, with one body on top of it, the other on the ground," he paused, looking like he was debating on telling me the rest of it.

"Go on," I prompted.

"Both bodies… They were both completely drained of blood." He finished quietly, his eyes darting up and down the street as he spoke, like he didn't want anyone to hear.

"What?" I gasped out. "Are you serious?"

"Now, don't freak out, Hayls. The bodies were seriously messed up, and there was a dent in the front of the car. They're thinking it was an animal attack. A bear, probably." He put a hand on my shoulder, noticing my widened eyes.

"If it happened months ago, why are y'all still working on the case?"

"We're not really. It's basically closed. Just labeled an animal attack. I just don't like the fact that bodies had no blood left in them, or that one was on top of the car and the other nearly thirty feet away. It's just too strange…" He trailed off, shaking his head. Suddenly, he seemed much older than just his thirty-one years. "I don't know. Don't worry about it, kid. I got this." He smiled easily, bending down and kissing my forehead again.

I smiled up at him, still wary. "Okay, Henry. If you say so."

"I do," he chuckled, turning and hopping down the steps. It had started to sprinkle while we'd been out here, not surprising at all. "Tell Paige I'll be home around six, kay?" He called, jogging to his car.

"Sure thing!" I said, standing up.

Henry waved as he drove away, heading to the station.

I watched him drive away, then headed back inside, suddenly feeling not all that safe outside.

The smell of chocolate chips greeted me as I walked into the dining room.

"Oh… My… God. Phoebe, don't tell me…" I walked into the kitchen, examining the huge mess that always accompanied Phoebs' cooking expeditions. "Are you..? You're not. Really?"

Phoebe laughed at my excited squeal. "Sit down at the counter. They're almost ready."

"Yeees!" I said, plopping down in a seat, all thoughts of my unpleasant conversation with Henry outside leaving my brain as it was ambushed by the smell of Phoebe's amazing chocolate strawberry pancakes.

"Have you missed them that much?" She laughed again, setting down the powdered sugar and syrup in front of me. She went back to the stove, placing for pancakes on a plate.

"Oh, you have _no_ idea," I said, nearly inhaling them from across the kitchen. "Gimme!"

Phoebe grinned, placing the plate in front of me. "Your breakfast, Madame." Her French accent was almost comical, and sounded slightly British, but I smiled.

"Gracias, seniora," I said, letting my Texas accent drip on both words. Phoebe made a face.

"Seniorita," she corrected. "I am not married, and I am not old."

I had to laugh at that. "No, of course not." I tried to hide my grin.

Phoebe was about to jump me for that, but at that moment, Paige decided to make her grand appearance, wearing a silk kimono over tweety bird pajamas. She grabbed four pancakes, too, along with a mug of coffee, and then launched into details of all the places we'd have to visit today while shopping. We were driving into Port Angelus around ten, and we wouldn't be coming back until late afternoon. I steeled myself with an almost pained expression on my face as she went on and on about the shops we'd need to visit and all the clothes I needed and how my collection of t-shirts and shorts was horribly, almost depressingly small.

This was going to be one very long, long day.


End file.
